A Dunnellon man who told deputies he had been lost for three days and was attempting to follow the sunrise home was arrested after he was allegedly found sleeping inside the garage of a residence on a large Ocala ranch.
Jarrett Dalton Bell, 33, was arrested Sept. 6 after Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Rockin F Ranch, located at 6000 SW 165th St., in reference to a reported trespassing incident. Bell was charged with trespassing in a structure or conveyance and trespassing on property after warning, according to an arrest affidavit.
According to the affidavit, witness Shane Carter was driving on a dirt road toward his residence when he noticed a military-style truck parked in the roadway. Carter reportedly recognized the truck from another location on the property about a mile away and found it unusual that it had been moved.
Carter approached the truck and found it unoccupied, but noticed footprints leading away from the vehicle and toward his residence, according to the report.
The trail led to an open garage, where Carter allegedly found Bell asleep in a chair.
Due to the circumstances, Carter unholstered his firearm and ordered Bell not to move while he contacted law enforcement and the ranch manager, according to the affidavit. Deputies subsequently arrived and detained Bell.
A deputy who reported having “numerous prior dealings” with Bell asked what had happened. Bell allegedly said he had illegally entered a nearby ranch west of the property and had been wandering for the previous three days after becoming lost.
Bell told the deputy he had been following the sun as it rose in the morning because he believed it would lead him home.
There was one problem with the plan.
The deputy informed Bell that his home was approximately five miles west in the Florida Highlands subdivision — and that following the sunrise would take him east, in the opposite direction.
The affidavit describes Rockin F Ranch as a large agricultural and cattle operation surrounded almost entirely by a fence at least eight feet tall. Deputies also reported numerous “No Trespassing” signs around the property, including signs affixed to the fence and gate.
Investigators determined Bell allegedly entered the posted and fenced property and remained there for an undetermined amount of time before entering the residence without permission and remaining inside until Carter discovered him.
Bell was arrested and charged with two misdemeanor trespassing offenses. Bond was listed at $1,000 on each charg
